1 in 10 newborn babies in Australia today will be affected by Plagiocephaly, which has been linked to developmental delays.
Plagiocephaly, known as Flat Head Syndrome, is a condition where a baby’s head becomes flat or mis-shapen due to continual pressure on their skulls from firm surfaces such as cot mattresses or bassinets. Flattening occurs when babies are asleep or lying on their backs.
Until recently, Plagiocephaly was considered to be a cosmetic problem, however recent research shows clear links to motor and movement skill delays.
New studies at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute by Dr Matthew Speltz, PhD, have shown Plagiocephaly is a ‘red flag’ for developmental delays. Dr Speltz, who is chief of outpatient psychiatric services at Seattle Children’s Hospital and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, noted in his study Case-Control Study of Neurodevelopment in Deformational Plagiocephaly that approximately 25% of babies with Plagiocephaly in the study displayed motor or movement skill delays when compared to the control group.
Treatment for Plagiocephaly has to date focused on expensive and traumatic correction via a helmet or corrective band, which the baby usually wears for 18 hours a day over several months. However the condition can be easily prevented, with an Australian designed and approved product, the Baby Head Rest. www.babyheadrest.com.au
The incidence of Plagiocephaly has drastically increased from one in 300 babies in the 1970s to 1 in 10 today, as parents sleep their babies on their backs to decrease the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Sleeping babies on their backs is proven to reduce the risk of SIDS, however this has led to a dramatic rise in Plagiocephaly diagnoses. www.plagiocephaly.com.au
Newborn babies’ skulls are soft and malleable and more easily flattened than a 6-month old. Premature babies are also at risk, due to the amount of time they spend lying down, and the softness of their skulls, as are multiple births, due to lack of space in the womb.
Worried parents have begun sleeping their babies on their sides or tummies in an effort to correct the problem. Dr Speltz strongly recommends that Safe Sleep principles should still be followed and that babies should be placed on their back to sleep when in the cot. He further advises that parents can:
- • Give their baby tummy time if they are over 2 months
- • Place toys on the opposite side to the flat side of the head to encourage babies to turn their heads
- • Carry their baby in a sling so that they are not always sleeping on their back
Baby-Head-Rest has been developed in Australia by health-care professionals. Baby-Head-Rest is the only head support or sleep positioner to be approved for listing as a medical device with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia. It supports baby’s head, preventing it from resting on firm surfaces.
For more information, visit www.babyheadrest.com, www.plagiocephaly.com.au or telephone 1300 119 837
